Political Science | Penn Today

Several adolescents stand under a giant American flag like a parachute aloft at an immigration reform rally.

Demographic shifts, voter fears, and presidential voting

New research shows Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign didn’t benefit from voters’ fears of immigrants in communities experiencing greater demographic change.

These activists are training every movement that matters

Daniel Gillion of the School of Arts and Sciences said protests inspired by Momentum’s activist methodology “are becoming very mainstream; these are not fringe events.” However, he said, if there are too many protests, the public may begin to tune out.

Trump’s weekend hospital visit draws a skeptical reaction

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center weighed in on speculation that Donald Trump’s unscheduled weekend hospital visit was not as routine as the White House claims it was. “If this is routine, why was it not handled in a routine manner?” she asked.

Protesters holding posters saying: "Give us fair elections" and "For honest elections", outdoors in Moscow square.

Russian interference and the West: Learning from ‘The Lands in Between’

In his new book, Mitchell Orenstein argues that politics in countries situated between Russia and the European Union can hold powerful lessons for Western countries affected by Russian interference.

Move over, ‘latte liberal.’ A new GOP insult invokes goat milk and avocado toast

Diana Mutz of the Annenberg School for Communication and the School of Arts and Sciences spoke about the ways food is used to make distinctions between groups of people. “It’s a way to draw lines between themselves and others—which is a shame, really,” she said. “But these kinds of things do the trick when they are trying to differentiate and divide.”

Pushing medical science forward, with bioethics

Alongside Nursing Dean Antonia M. Villarruel, Penn President Amy Gutmann and PIK Professor Jonathan Moreno discussed their new book “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven but Nobody Wants to Die” at the Smilow Center for Translational Research.

Warren’s days at Rutgers and Penn

Stephen Burbank of Carey Law and other former colleagues discussed Elizabeth Warren’s academic career and the evolution of her political views. “It was generally thought that she was the best teacher on what is, and what had been, a very strong teaching faculty,” said Burbank.

Three students stand next to a poster entitled "Cleaning Up Philly's Streets" which describes their project

Helping Philadelphia tackle trash with technology

Last fall, a team of undergraduates developed a high-tech solution to help the city target one of its persistent problems: the illegal dumping of construction and trash debris.

Is politics a war of ideas or of us against them?

Yphtach Lelkes of the Annenberg School for Communication said that while it’s hard to disentangle ideology from partisanship when looking at political polarization, the larger pattern appears to be that “ideology driving partisanship only seems to be occurring among those that are most aware of politics, while partisanship driving ideology seems to be happening among everyone.”

looking up at a Union Jack flag hanging from a balcony under a blue sky

Brexit strategy Q&A: What’s next?

Political scientist Brendan O’Leary, an expert on U.K. politics, talks about the latest deal on that country’s efforts to leave the European Union, what the Dec. 12 parliamentary election may bring, and what comes after Jan. 31.

Filters